Vert Energy Group

Tag: energy performance

Why Energy Benchmarking Is Critical for Building Efficiency

Introduction

The growing environmental effect of energy usage has made energy efficiency a significant issue in today’s society. Particularly, buildings play a significant role in both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, enhancing a building’s energy efficiency has become a critical goal. Energy benchmarking is crucial in this situation. Measurement and comparison of a building’s energy performance to defined metrics and industry standards is known as energy benchmarking. In this post, we’ll look at the importance of energy benchmarking for building efficiency and how it helps us evaluate, compare, and improve energy performance precisely.

The Significance of Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Buildings are responsible for a significant portion of global energy consumption and carbon emissions. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), buildings account for nearly 40% of global energy use and approximately one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. This highlights the urgent need to reduce energy consumption in buildings and transition to more sustainable practices.

Energy efficiency in buildings involves optimizing energy use while maintaining occupant comfort and productivity. It encompasses various aspects, such as efficient building design, insulation, lighting, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and the use of renewable energy sources. By improving energy efficiency, we can reduce carbon footprints, lower energy costs, enhance occupant well-being, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Understanding Energy Benchmarking

Energy benchmarking provides a systematic approach to measure and evaluate a building’s energy performance. It involves collecting and analyzing data on energy consumption, identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and comparing a building’s energy performance to similar buildings or established benchmarks. Energy benchmarking helps building owners and managers understand their energy usage patterns, identify inefficiencies, and make informed decisions to improve energy efficiency.

Several metrics and indicators are used in energy benchmarking, such as Energy Use Intensity (EUI), energy cost per square foot, greenhouse gas emissions, and Energy Star ratings. These metrics provide standardized measurements that enable meaningful comparisons and assessments of a building’s energy performance. Additionally, benchmarking tools and platforms facilitate data collection, analysis, and reporting, streamlining the benchmarking process.

Accurate Measurement of Energy Performance

Accurate measurement of energy performance is crucial for identifying areas of improvement and evaluating the effectiveness of energy-saving initiatives. Energy benchmarking enables building owners and managers to collect and analyze reliable energy data, which serves as a baseline for future comparisons. By understanding how and when energy is consumed, they can identify patterns and anomalies, uncovering opportunities for optimization.

For instance, through energy benchmarking, a building may discover that energy consumption spikes during non-business hours due to inefficient equipment scheduling or inadequate insulation. With this knowledge, appropriate actions can be taken, such as optimizing equipment schedules, implementing energy-efficient technologies, or improving insulation. By accurately measuring energy performance, buildings can identify the most effective strategies for reducing energy consumption and achieving substantial energy savings.

Comparison and Ranking of Energy Performance

Energy benchmarking not only enables accurate measurement but also facilitates comparison and ranking of a building’s energy performance against similar buildings. Benchmarking allows building owners and managers to assess their building’s energy performance relative to industry standards, peer buildings, or established targets.

Comparisons provide insights into how a building performs in relation to others in terms of energy consumption, costs, and emissions. By identifying outliers, underperforming buildings, or areas for improvement, benchmarking allows for targeted actions to enhance energy efficiency. Moreover, benchmarking helps set realistic goals and targets for energy reduction, allowing buildings to track progress over time and establish best practices.

Several energy benchmarking platforms and resources are available to support comparisons and rankings. These platforms aggregate data from multiple buildings, enabling owners and managers to benchmark their energy performance against a broader set of peers. Such platforms foster healthy competition, knowledge sharing, and collaboration, driving continuous improvements in building energy efficiency.

Valium from https://www.mcmedicalnj.com/valium-diazepam dosage for conditions like reactive attachment, psychosomatic disorders, and spastic conditions varies based on age. For children aged 6-12 months, the dosage is 1-2.5 mg or 40-200 mg/kg, administered 3-4 times daily. Children aged 1 to 3 years usually receive 1 mg daily, while those aged 3-7 years receive 2 mg daily. Children aged 7 and older may receive 3-5 mg daily.

Driving Energy Efficiency Improvements

Energy benchmarking plays a crucial role in driving energy efficiency improvements. By identifying inefficiencies and areas for optimization, benchmarking acts as a catalyst for change. Armed with accurate data and comparative analysis, building owners and managers can make informed decisions about energy-saving measures and investments.

For example, benchmarking might reveal that a building’s HVAC system consumes significantly more energy compared to similar buildings. This insight could prompt an assessment of the system’s performance, leading to adjustments, retrofits, or replacements that improve energy efficiency. Similarly, benchmarking can identify opportunities for implementing lighting upgrades, insulation improvements, or renewable energy installations, all aimed at reducing energy consumption.

Implementing energy efficiency improvements not only reduces energy costs but also enhances the comfort and well-being of building occupants. Moreover, energy-efficient buildings often command higher property values and attract environmentally conscious tenants, providing additional incentives for building owners to invest in energy efficiency.

Link between Energy Benchmarking and Regulations/Certifications

Energy benchmarking is closely linked to energy certifications and regulatory compliance. Many jurisdictions around the world have implemented building energy disclosure and benchmarking policies that require building owners to report their energy usage data. This data transparency helps create awareness, accountability, and drives energy efficiency improvements.

Furthermore, energy benchmarking serves as a foundation for various energy certification programs. Certifications, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), assess and recognize buildings based on their energy performance, sustainability features, and environmental impact. Energy benchmarking data often forms a crucial component of the certification process, providing evidence of a building’s energy efficiency achievements.

Overcoming Challenges in Energy Benchmarking

While energy benchmarking offers substantial benefits, several challenges need to be addressed for its effective implementation. One challenge involves data availability and quality. Accurate benchmarking relies on reliable and consistent energy data, which can be challenging to obtain, especially for older or less sophisticated buildings. Building owners and managers must invest in robust data collection systems and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data they collect.

Another challenge revolves around privacy concerns and data sharing. Building energy data often contains sensitive information that must be handled with care. Appropriate measures, such as anonymization or aggregation, should be implemented to protect privacy while still enabling effective benchmarking and comparisons.

Training and awareness are essential for successful energy benchmarking initiatives. Building owners and managers need to understand the benefits, methodologies, and tools associated with benchmarking. Education and training programs can equip them with the necessary skills to implement benchmarking effectively and derive meaningful insights from the data.

To overcome these challenges, policymakers can provide support through the development of standardized protocols, data exchange frameworks, and incentives. Governments can also play a role in promoting awareness, providing training resources, and facilitating collaboration among stakeholders to drive widespread adoption of energy benchmarking practices.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Numerous case studies highlight the effectiveness of energy benchmarking in achieving substantial energy savings. For example, the Empire State Building in New York City implemented an energy efficiency retrofit that included energy benchmarking. By comparing its energy performance against similar buildings, the Empire State Building identified areas for improvement and implemented measures that led to a 38% reduction in energy consumption and $4.4 million in annual energy savings.

Another success story comes from the city of Seattle, which implemented a mandatory energy benchmarking and reporting program for commercial and multifamily buildings. Over time, the program has helped the city’s buildings achieve an average energy use reduction of 10% and has catalyzed investments in energy efficiency measures.

These examples demonstrate the transformative potential of energy benchmarking in driving significant energy savings and fostering sustainability in the built environment.

Future Trends and Innovations in Energy Benchmarking

Looking ahead, energy benchmarking is expected to evolve and benefit from emerging trends and innovations. Technological advancements, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), sensor technologies, and building automation systems, will facilitate real-time data collection and analysis, enabling more dynamic benchmarking practices.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will play a significant role in enhancing energy benchmarking. These technologies can analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and provide actionable insights for energy efficiency improvements. AI-powered benchmarking systems can continuously monitor and optimize building performance, adapt to changing occupancy patterns, and suggest energy-saving measures based on real-time data.

Moreover, international efforts to standardize benchmarking protocols and develop more comprehensive frameworks will provide a solid foundation for global energy benchmarking practices. Such standardization will enable better data comparability, foster collaboration across borders, and support the development of comprehensive international benchmarks.

Conclusion

Energy benchmarking is a critical tool for achieving building efficiency and reducing energy consumption. By providing accurate measurement, facilitating comparisons, and driving energy efficiency improvements, benchmarking empowers building owners and managers to make informed decisions and take effective actions.

The significance of energy benchmarking will keep increasing as the world’s attention turns more and more toward sustainability. Building owners, managers, and legislators may realize significant energy savings, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient built environment by giving energy benchmarking programs top priority. Adopting energy benchmarking is a commitment to a greener and more energy-efficient environment as well as an investment in the future.

If you are looking for an expert Commercial Energy Audit and Benchmark Compliance consultancy, look no further! Contact us at Vertpro.com! We are an award-winning Energy Benchmarking and Audit Consultancy, recognized on Inc. 5000, providing innovative SaaS technology-based solutions for Building Owners & Property Managers to Simplify Energy Compliance with all 50+ Energy Benchmarking & Energy Efficiency Laws Nationwide. From Energy Benchmarking to Energy Audits/RCx Plus, Building Upgrades and Construction Marketplace, VertPro® has you covered.

June 22, 2023
How Energy Audits Can Boost Commercial Building Performance

As businesses across the world strive to become more eco-friendly, many are turning their attention to energy efficiency. Energy audits are a critical tool in the effort to reduce your business’s environmental footprint and get the most from your building.

By examining how resources such as electricity, gas, and water are used in commercial buildings, energy audit processes can reveal invaluable information about how these resources can be managed for maximum savings without sacrificing comfort or convenience.

Let’s look at some ways an energy audit may boost the performance of energy efficiency upgrades in any commercial building.

What are energy audits?

Energy audits are assessments of the energy use in a building. An auditor looks at how much energy is used, where it’s used, and what can be done to reduce the overall energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Audits provide detailed data which helps identify potential improvement areas and pinpoint savings opportunities. They also provide guidance on ways to enhance comfort and energy efficiency improvements, increase safety, and reduce operating systems and equipment costs.

Energy audits can range from basic walk-throughs that capture a snapshot of current conditions to more in-depth analyses covering all aspects of mechanical and electrical systems within a facility or an entire campus. Auditors may use tools such as infrared cameras, blower door tests, computer simulations, or other diagnostic equipment to assess energy consumption and uncover opportunities for improvement.

Overall, energy audits are used to help identify the most cost-effective ways to reduce a building’s energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. They can be a helpful tool in helping facility managers meet their goals of reducing operating costs while still providing adequate comfort and safety levels.

Energy audits also provide an opportunity to gain valuable insight into the performance of a building’s systems and its potential areas of improvement. Building energy audits and evaluating current conditions can help inform decisions about future investments in equipment or upgrades that may prove beneficial in the long run.

In summary, energy audits are invaluable for facilities looking to save on operating costs, enhance occupant comfort, and improve efficiency. They can help identify areas where improvements and significant energy savings are needed and provide guidance on the most effective ways to implement changes that will lead to long-term savings.

Benefits of an Energy Audit for Your Commercial Building

The following are the benefits of an Energy Audit for Your Commercial Building:

1. Identify areas of inefficiency:

A professional energy audit will analyze your building’s current energy usage and identify potential problem areas where you can save on energy costs. The proper energy audit may uncover problems with insulation, energy efficiency measures, HVAC systems, lighting systems, control systems, or other equipment that can be resolved to reduce your overall operating costs.

2. Improve air quality:

By assessing the air quality inside your commercial building, an energy audit will detect any harmful toxins or allergens present within the space. These contaminants could not only affect the health of employees but also lead to a decrease in productivity if left unaddressed.

3. Reduce operating costs:

An energy audit can provide detailed reports outlining how changes to the building can reduce energy consumption, thereby reducing operating costs for commercial building owners. This could be in the form of installing more efficient appliances and implementing smarter control systems that automatically adjust temperature or lighting depending on occupancy levels.

4. Maximize operational efficiency:

An energy audit can help you maximize operational efficiency by identifying equipment that is not being used effectively and making recommendations for more efficient operation. These efficiency improvements could include replacing old HVAC systems with newer models or optimizing airflow patterns to improve airflow and reduce energy usage.

5. Increase environmental sustainability:

By improving the efficiency of your commercial building, an energy audit will help you decrease your carbon footprint while meeting green building standards. This could involve switching to LED lighting, installing solar panels, or upgrading insulation to save energy and reduce the energy needed to power your building. In addition, reducing emissions will also help you meet local regulations and improve air quality in the area.

6. Develop a long-term energy plan:

An energy audit can provide an in-depth analysis of your current energy consumption patterns and develop a customized plan for reducing operating costs over time. This could involve implementing more efficient operation strategies, such as investing in smart technology or scheduling regular maintenance checks on equipment.

You can also do energy bill analysis and use this information to create budgeting plans that allow you to make strategic investments into green initiatives without breaking the bank.

7. Enhance customer satisfaction:

By improving the efficiency of your commercial building, you can reduce energy and utility bills and create a more comfortable environment for customers. This will lead to enhanced customer satisfaction, which could translate into increased sales or an improved reputation in the business world.

8. Increase the value of your property:

Lastly, making improvements suggested by an energy audit may increase the value of your commercial building. The upgrades made as part of an audit can help you save money on energy costs while also increasing the commercial building owner’s resale value if you ever decide to sell or lease the space.

An energy audit provides many benefits for commercial buildings. By identifying areas where efficiency can be improved, improving air quality, reducing operating costs, maximizing operational efficiency, and increasing environmental sustainability, an energy audit can help you make your building more efficient and increase its value.

Additionally, it can help you develop a long-term energy plan to ensure that you are always meeting your customers’ needs while staying within budget. Doing an energy survey and investing in an energy audit will pay off in the long run!

What Should Commercial Property Owners Look for in an Energy Audit?

As a commercial property owner, it is important to understand the energy efficiency of your building and its systems. A building energy audit assesses the building’s current energy performance, identifies potential wasteful practices, and offers recommendations for improvement.

Here are some tips on what to look for when selecting an energy auditor:

Look for Certified Energy Auditors

The first thing that any commercial property owner should consider is ensuring that the person or organization they choose has been certified by Building Performance Institute (BPI). These organizations train and certify their members as professional inspectors and commercial building energy audit auditors. Certified energy auditors are more qualified than non-certified auditors because they have received specific training in inspecting and evaluating energy efficiency.

Consider Specialty Services Available

A commercial property owner will also want to review any specialty services their potential auditor offers that may not be included in a standard inspection. Many organizations offer these services at an additional cost, such as indoor air quality testing or air leakage tests. Depending on the size of the facility and its specific needs, these added services could be essential for ensuring the building’s health and long-term sustainability.

Understand Any Additional Fees

Many auditors charge additional fees beyond the base rate for their service. These extra costs can include things like travel fees, report fees, equipment rental fees, personnel costs, or setup/testing fees – so make sure you understand what kind of additional expenses you may encounter with your selected auditor.

The good news is that many government programs will reimburse businesses for part or all of these costs if they meet certain criteria. Research these programs before undertaking your audit to see if they might apply to you.

Verify Credibility Through References & Reviews

Finally, everyone–especially business owners responsible for large properties–should check references from past clients before hiring an auditor. Online reviews can also be helpful—on sites like Yelp! For instance—but take them with a grain of salt; sometimes competitors leave negative reviews about each other under fictitious names just to sway customers one way or another.

Asking for references from prior customers is a great way to verify an auditor’s credibility so you can decide who will do the best job vetting your property’s energy efficiency potential.

Conclusion

In conclusion, energy audits can help commercial building owners and operators gain greater insight into how their buildings are performing, pinpoint areas for potential improvement, and take steps to make those improvements. Not only will these changes improve the efficiency of their buildings, but they’ll also save money in the long run. That’s a win-win solution!

Moreover, regular energy auditing improves asset performance. Furthermore, by partnering with an experienced energy audit provider such as VertPro®, building owners can benefit from sophisticated technology, accurate assessment results, detailed data collection, and analysis tools, among other advantages designed to help develop strategic energy management plans suited to individual business needs.

May 4, 2023
Understanding the Los Angeles Energy Benchmarking Emission limits

LA is setting the standard for green businesses, and understanding their energy benchmarking emission limits will ensure you don’t get left behind. Far more than an annoyance to business owners, failing to comply with these regulations can directly impact your reputation and wallet size! In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what LA’s rules are; when they apply; why it matters right now; plus how adhering to them might benefit everyone involved – from employees to customers alike!

And if you’re serious about meeting standards across all sizes & sectors of organizations? Then check out our best practices advice at the end – everything a budding eco-friendly entrepreneur needs in one place. Learn today: live ‘green’ tomorrow!

What Is LA Energy Benchmarking Emission Limit?

LA has implemented a comprehensive energy benchmarking and emission limit policy to reduce its non-residential buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions. This program, EBEWE, allows building owners to measure their energy performance against similar structures or the city’s own settings over time.

By implementing efficient technology and operations practices into the design of these policies, LA is creating an effective roadmap for improving energy efficiency in all aspects of commercial real estate ownership. Through this initiative, it can be seen that environmental stewardship plays a crucial role in driving economic growth throughout California and positively impacting global efforts toward climate change adaptation!

Who Can Comply With LA Energy Benchmarking?

With rising energy costs, businesses in Los Angeles are keeping their eyes open for ways to save. The city’s benchmarking policy requires buildings bigger than 20,000 square feet to assess and upload data on water and energy use into Energy Star Portfolio Manager annually. This produces an easy-to-understand score denoting the building’s efficiency level – a higher score means better performance in being more environmentally responsible!

With such a straightforward way of showing commitment towards sustainability goals while cutting back on expenses, LA organizations have plenty of reason to invest time and effort into establishing green practices that make them stand out as leaders in becoming sustainable powerhouse cities!

Deadline For LA Energy Benchmarking Report

Los Angeles energy benchmarking reports are due on June 1! Whether jointly or separately owned, many new and existing buildings over 20,000 square feet of gross floor area in Los Angeles must comply with the city’s energy benchmarking ordinance requirements. This includes performing energy audits and submitting energy performance data to California Energy Benchmarking.

Different energy sources are included in these reports, such as electricity, oil, and natural gas; these energy sources must all be used in accordance with applicable energy standards outlined in the Los Angeles Municipal Code. Hurry and meet the deadline -June 1 is just around the corner!

Understanding The Los Angeles Energy Benchmarking Emission Limits

The Los Angeles City Council has recently passed an ordinance, the LA Energy Benchmarking and Emission Limits Ordinance, that allows building owners in the local area to monitor their existing buildings’ energy consumption easily. With this greater level of detail concerning water usage and energy services performance available, they can assess precisely how well-equipped their establishments are for meeting these new standards set by authorities. This ordinance provides company proprietors with all the data needed to make meaningful upgrades so as to remain compliant with government regulations – a responsibility that now falls on them more than ever before!

What Are Requirements for Los Angeles Energy Benchmarking?

The City of Los Angeles has set a bold goal for achieving energy and water efficiency: mandating benchmarking throughout the city’s businesses and public facilities. By comparing annual gas, electricity, and other resource consumption from year to year at each facility and tracking their progress over time, we can effectively identify potential areas where cost savings – and emissions reductions! – are achievable. It’s an ambitious endeavor but one that carries a great promise; together, let us strive towards realizing increased resource conservation in our beloved hometown!

The city of Los Angeles is committed to conserving resources and upholding established sustainability goals — an effort that begins with businesses consuming a significant amount of energy. To keep them informed on their resource use, organizations must provide year-over-year data reports -comprising baseline figures for the current period and comparison details from previous periods. With this requirement in effect, companies can competitively refer back to prior years’ numbers while making knowledgeable decisions along the way – ultimately resulting in positive outcomes toward growing green initiatives!

Penalty For Los Angeles Energy Benchmarking Report

Los Angeles has taken a firm stance towards energy conservation, with the upcoming implementation of their ‘penalty for not filing energy benchmarking reports’ policy. Starting November 2020, commercial and multifamily buildings that are more than 20,000 square feet will be required to complete and submit energy usage reports on an annual basis.

These reports simulate how much certain energy structures use yearly, allowing Los Angeles to track improvement and keep citizens accountable for meeting sustainability goals. Any buildings that do not meet this requirement by March 31st, 2021, the deadline will face a fine starting at $2 per day until the report has been completed and satisfactorily submitted. It’s a great step forward for the city as they pursue its 2020 goal of slashing carbon emissions by 45%.

Benefits Of Los Angeles Energy Benchmarking

Here are the benefits of LA Benchmarking:

1. Increases Transparency: LA Benchmarking increases transparency in energy use by providing clear data on how much energy is used and how it is distributed throughout the city, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions on their future energy usage.

2. Improves Efficiency: As LA Benchmarking requires regular reporting from building owners, it encourages them to find ways to reduce energy usage through improved efficiency. This leads to lower operational costs and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Improves Building Value: Energy-efficient commercial and multifamily buildings are more attractive to tenants, investors, and buyers due to their lower operating costs. As LA Benchmarking requires energy audits, owners can use the results to make necessary improvements and increase the value of their properties.

4. Supports Climate Action: LA Benchmarking helps the city meet its climate action goals by requiring commercial and multifamily buildings to become more energy efficient. This reduces the city’s carbon footprint, making it a leader in environmental stewardship.

5. Increases Awareness: LA Benchmarking increases awareness of energy usage in commercial and multifamily buildings, providing building owners with the information they need to make informed decisions about their energy use. This encourages more efficient practices and helps create a sustainable future for Los Angeles.

Overall, LA Benchmarking has numerous benefits for commercial and multifamily buildings, from improving efficiency and building value to supporting climate action and increasing awareness. It is an important tool in the city’s efforts to create a more sustainable future.

Things To Consider When Complying With Energy Benchmarking

Let’s check out:

1. Understand the underlying purpose of energy benchmarking: The first step to successful compliance with an energy benchmark is to understand why you are doing it in the first place. Is this a requirement from a government agency or utility? Are you trying to save money on your energy bills? What metrics, such as energy intensity and carbon emissions, are you trying to improve?

2. Choose the right benchmarking tool: There are various energy benchmarking tools available, each with different features and benefits. Make sure you choose a tool that will meet your specific needs, such as integrating other data sources or advanced reporting capabilities.

3. Create an action plan: Before beginning any energy benchmarking project, it is important to create a comprehensive action plan that outlines the goals and steps necessary for optimal energy savings. This includes understanding energy usage patterns, setting energy targets, and determining how energy projects will be implemented.

4. Monitor progress: Once your energy benchmarking project is underway, you need to track progress over time to ensure energy savings goals are being met. A good energy benchmarking tool should provide detailed energy data and reports that enable you to identify areas of improvement.

5. Leverage available resources: The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power has developed energy efficiency programs and incentives to help businesses meet energy savings targets. Businesses can save energy and money by taking advantage of energy incentive programs, rebates, and audits.

By understanding the purpose of energy benchmarking, choosing the right benchmarking tool, creating an action plan, monitoring progress, and leveraging available resources, businesses in Los Angeles can maximize their energy savings while complying with energy benchmarking regulations.

Conclusion

In order to help reduce emissions and protect our environment, businesses need to understand the LA energy benchmarking emission limits. With this knowledge, businesses can ensure they comply with these regulations and help create a cleaner and healthier world for us all.

February 22, 2023
How Energy Benchmarking – Improves Building Performance

Do you use energy benchmarking to assess your building’s performance? If not, now is the time to start. Energy benchmarking can help you make the most of the energy usage in your building and save money in the process. In this blog post, we’ll explore why your business needs to invest in energy benchmarking and some key strategies to help improve your building’s efficiency over time. From reduced costs and increased comfort levels, there are countless benefits that come with improving a building’s performance—so let’s take a look!
What Is Energy Benchmarking?
Energy benchmarking is an important tool to help measure energy efficiency in buildings. It compares energy consumption levels of buildings against similar facilities, allowing for energy performance comparisons over time and aiding in energy conservation decisions.
Through energy benchmarking, building owners and property managers can monitor energy usage trends to identify problems, find energy savings opportunities across their portfolio or facility, and track progress and investments over time. In addition to helping buildings become more energy efficient, benchmarks also provide a way to measure the effectiveness of upgrading building systems with cutting-edge technology like renewable energy sources. As such, energy benchmarking is a valuable tool in the push toward green energy solutions that can help us save on operating costs and benefit the environment.
How Can Energy Benchmarking Data Improve A Building’s Energy Performance?
Benchmarking a building’s energy performance is essential in driving consumers towards higher-performing buildings. With benchmarking data, businesses and organizations can better understand their building’s energy performance and set targets for improved energy use and efficiency.
There are benchmarking and transparency policies that promote the usage of benchmarking data and platforms, such as Energy Star Portfolio Manager, which allows users to compare their benchmarked buildings with other similar buildings in terms of energy use, consumption, emissions, and performance.
Benchmarking a building’s energy performance can equip owners to identify potential opportunities for reducing energy costs and help to reduce waste so that they can make meaningful improvements in their buildings’ energy performance.
Why Is Energy Benchmarking Important For Building Owners?
Energy benchmarking is an invaluable tool for building owners looking to reduce energy consumption and, ultimately, energy costs. By providing energy data collected from metering and energy use analysis, energy benchmarking helps building owners gain insight into their energy consumption. This data provides a snapshot of energy consumption in comparison to the energy performance of other similar buildings, helping them evaluate energy performance and understand how costly changes to their facility could impact energy use over time.
For this reason, benchmarking has become an important part of the environmental protection agency’s (EPA) efforts toward creating more sustainable energy practices across the nation. For any property owner looking to make their building more energy-efficient and cost-effective, energy benchmarking is an invaluable tool that should be taken advantage of today.
How To Conduct Energy Benchmarking Assessment?
Energy benchmarking is an important part of building performance standards, as it helps to track energy consumption data and use it to implement energy-saving initiatives. An energy benchmarking assessment should begin with a survey to understand the building’s physical characteristics, including its size and age. Next, analyze building energy bills and other documents related to building operations.
After collecting relevant information and data, compare the building’s Energy Star score against similar scores from other buildings in the area and develop potential ways to improve its score. With continued effort and consistent monitoring of the building’s energy usage, progress can be tracked over time to continuously reduce energy costs and drive greater efficiency for a more sustainable building.
Tips To Reduce Energy Consumption Of A Building
Here are some tips to reduce the energy consumption of a building:
1. Utilize Natural Lighting: Take advantage of natural light to reduce the need for electric lighting during the day. Installing larger windows, and skylights, and adding reflective surfaces can all help to bring more natural light into your building while reducing energy consumption.
2. Install Motion Detectors: Automatically turning off lights when no one is in the room can greatly reduce energy consumption. Installing motion detectors or sensors on lights and other appliances can help you save money.
3. Install Efficient Lighting: Replacing traditional bulbs with LED bulbs can result in significant energy savings. Also, using task lighting instead of main lighting to reduce your energy costs.
4. Utilize Power Strips: Plugging all computers and other electronics into one power strip can help reduce energy consumption by cutting off their power when not in use. You can also set a timer on the power strip so that it will automatically shut off after a certain period of time.
5. Insulate Your Building:Insulating your building can help to keep the warm air inside during the winter and cool air inside during the summer. This can reduce your energy costs as you won’t need to use heating or cooling systems as often.
6. Upgrade To Energy-Efficient Appliances: Replacing old appliances with newer, more efficient models can help you cut energy costs. Look for ENERGY STAR-certified appliances to ensure you get the most efficient models available.
7. Utilize Smart Thermostats: Installing programmable thermostats, and smart thermostats can help you better manage the temperature in your building without overworking your heating and cooling systems. This can help you save money while still maintaining a comfortable environment.
Following these tips can reduce your energy consumption and lower your utility bills. Taking steps to become more energy efficient is an important part of being eco-friendly and responsible for the environment. Your efforts will also pay off in terms of savings as well!
Benefits Of Energy Benchmarking
Let’s have a look at the benefits of energy benchmarking:
1. Cost Savings: Energy benchmarking provides a clear understanding of energy use and helps to identify cost savings opportunities. It allows organizations to track and measure their performance, compare it with similar buildings, set goals for improvement, and develop strategies for achieving those goals.
2. Improved Performance: Benchmarking reveals inefficiencies and areas of improvement in the energy use of a building. It helps to illustrate how buildings operate and enables organizations to track progress over time. This information can be used to make informed energy consumption and performance decisions.
3. Increased Awareness: Energy benchmarking encourages improved awareness of energy use among occupants and staff members, which often leads to increased consciousness and a better understanding of how energy can be used efficiently.
4. Improved Energy Efficiency: By benchmarking the energy use of a building, organizations can develop strategies for improving its efficiency. This process helps identify areas where improvements can be made to reduce overall energy consumption and save money on utility bills.
5. Increased Value: By making the necessary improvements to a building’s energy efficiency and performance, organizations can increase its value in the market by demonstrating to potential buyers that the building is well-managed and has a low environmental impact.
Energy benchmarking is an important tool for helping organizations save money on energy costs and improve the overall performance of their buildings. It is a simple, cost-effective way to track and analyze energy use, identify opportunities for improvements, and set goals for future energy efficiency initiatives. Ultimately, benchmarking can lead to greater savings in energy costs and an improved bottom line for organizations.
Best Energy Benchmarking Tools
Regarding energy benchmarking, the best tools are those that provide detailed analytics, allow for customization and offer specific recommendations for efficiency improvement. Some of the top tools on the market today include Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and VertPro®.
These programs provide various features to simplify energy benchmarking in commercial and buildings, such as user-friendly dashboards, automated data updates, and rebate options. With these powerful tools, anyone can improve energy efficiency with just a few clicks!
Things To Consider When Investing In Energy Benchmarking
Investing in energy benchmarking is a great way to improve the environment and cut your operating costs. Whether you are an individual investor or a company looking to reduce emissions, it’s important to consider a few components when determining the best strategy. First, identify what types of energy sources you need to analyze.
Then assess the current and projected usage of that energy source by collecting data from previous bills or surveys of the customer base. Additionally, you should take into account how long it will take for any changes made through energy benchmarking to take effect; for example, if new equipment is being installed, this can significantly raise upfront costs but save money in the long run by heading off higher utility bills down the road.
Finally, think about potential savings over time — are there any potential incentives you can use? If so, capitalize on them and maximize your return on investment while helping protect our planet.
Conclusion
Energy benchmarking is a valuable tool for improving building performance. By understanding how your buildings use energy, you can make informed decisions about where to invest in improvements. Benchmarking allows you to compare your building’s performance against similar properties and track progress over time. If you’re not already using energy benchmarking, now is the time to start!

February 1, 2023